Flush tank valve construction



May 6,1941. l g 2,241,220

FLUSH TANK VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 31, 1959 IN VENTOR.

m/Zfww BY ATTORNE'Y.

Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH TANK VALVE CONSTRUCTION Walter R. Powers, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 31, 1939, Serial No. 302,142

1 Claim.

This invention relates to flush tank valve constructions, more particularly to means for use with the valves of flush tanks of water closets to prevent the seating of the valve until a maximum of the storage Water has been allowed to pass from the flushing tank, and the instant application is a continuation in part of an application filed by me August 5, 1939, serially numbered 284,479.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ valve mechanism withmeans for retarding the seating of the valve'as it approaches the tank outlet passage, such for example as attaching the valve stem to the leaky piston.

This construction makes the seating of the valve a timed operation, depending upon the capacity of the piston cylinder, which is filled with water when the flushing tank fills up. In such construction the valve is not seated in response to the water level of the tank.

It has also been proposed to employ floating or semi-floating flush tank valves which in their seating movement are supposed to float and become seated when the water level reaches the mouth of the flushing line. The difficulty with such types of valve closing controls is that the suction eiiect of the flush line draws the valve to its seat, while there is still an inch or more of water in the tank.

It is well recognized in the art that if all of the water could be drained from the storage tank of a water closet, the tanks could be reduced in capacity, and particularly in height, which is desirable in modern plumbing construction.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for positively and directly controlling the seating of the flush valve in response to variation in the water level, so that all of the water may be drained from the flush tank before the drain valve seats,

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of"'the accompanying drawing constituting a parthereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which the single figure isa front elevational view of a water closet flushing system embodying the principle of this invention.

In the drawing',the numeral I designates athreaded fitting forthe connection of the water of the flush line, and 4 a rubber valve which is mounted on a sleeve 5, having sliding contact with a guide rod 6, the latter extending down through valve 4 to an anchor in the fitting I as shown in the dotted lines. Valve sleeve 5 is provided with an adjustable collar 1 that is engaged by an actuator rod 8 to lift the valve when flushing the tank. Guide rod 6 is adjustably mounted on a bracket 9 which is fastened to the overflow drain pipe Hi, all these features being disclosed in my hereinbefore mentioned co-pending appli- "cation.

In accordance with the present invention, the

-- valve 4 is controlled in its seating movement by a float I I carried by a side arm l2 connected by "a ferrule l3 to the valve sleeve 5, a set screw it being provided to make the arm adjustable so that the float II can be adjusted vertically relative to the valve seat 3 or the seating surface of the valve 4. Float II is of cylindrical shape,

about three inches in diameter and one inch in thickness, and is sealed to form a water-tight air chamber.

It has sufficient floating capacity to support the valve 4, the valve sleeve and connecting linkage in a manner to keep the seat of the valve substantially at the level of the water .in the tank as it rides downwardly to seatin position.

The float counteracts the suction effect which seats the conventional form of valve, so that valve 4 does not engage its seat until the water level in the tank is at the mouth of valve seat 3. In this way, all of the available storage water -is discharged through the flushing line, and a mined level of the water in the storage tank because the float is mounted on a vertical guide and cannot be displaced from its normal path of travel in its opening or closing movements.

Although one embodiment of the invention *w-has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim: In a flushing tank having an outflow passage,

a valve for closing said passage, said valve being adapted to seat by gravity, and a float for said i valve adapted to drop with the level of the water the flush tank to positively retard the seatin I 0f the valve until the water in the tank is level closet tank 2 with the flow line, 3 the valve seat with the outflow passage, said float comprising a housing forming an air chamber for floating on the water in the tank, having adjustable bracket connecting the float to the valve to adjust the float to the desired seating action of the valve.

WALTER R. POWERS. 

